First Impressions GohanxPiccolo
by TenzouGirl
Summary: There was only one friend that I could tell that I knew would never tell anyone. I trusted him with both my heart and my life; he listened whenever I needed him to. Well, he was meditating most of the time, but I like to think he was listening too.


Author's note- Well… I never imagined myself writing a Dragonball Z fanfiction that I wasn't totally ashamed of, but surprise! I'm pretty happy with this one! If you don't like Piccolo and Gohan don't read it, although it's mostly just a friendship sort of fic. -TenzouGirl

_When I first met Piccolo, he wasn't exactly welcoming. I don't know why I felt so safe and myself around him… maybe it was because I understood what it felt like to truly feel like you had no one to suffer for or with you. I always understood him more than others and I wasn't ever truly hurt by his insults. I knew it was just his way of expressing his emotions._

I was 8 years old when my mom hit me for the first time. It hurt more emotionally than it did physically; after all, I had already endured Mister Piccolo's training. What's weird is that even though training with Piccolo was probably the hardest thing I had ever done, it may have been the happiest moments of my life. It was nice to get out of the house for once, away from my over-bearing mother and emotionally distant father. He was always too busy saving the world than to actually paying attention to his own flesh and blood. I hated him for that; he was never there for me, or Mom. Maybe it wouldn't have turned out this way if he had acted like a responsible father who loved his son.

I don't exactly remember what I had done to make Mom so angry; I'm sure it was something stupid like hanging out with Mr. Piccolo too long, or even at all. Leave it to her to stretch something out like that. I don't know why she hated him so much, I mean, he is really nice when you get to know him. I didn't think the same when I first met him; he was scary, mean, and intimidating, but I know now he was just acting that way to make me stronger. I know now he's just pretty grumpy.

When I first met him, I didn't even know where I was. I knew he had fought my father a while back, so I figured he was dangerous and possibly evil. I don't like to judge on first impressions, though. My impression was wrong anyway.

Mom swore if I told anyone about her abuse she would kill me. I had prayed that she was just angry at herself for hitting me and that she was just trying to make me forget about it by scaring it out of me. It didn't work. It began with that first slap and began to escalate. When Dad would leave to "save the world" she would take her anger out on me. It started with slaps and got worse and worse every time we fought or dad would say something stupid. She'd wait until Dad left and then unleashed her fury. I couldn't, no, wouldn't hit my mother, no matter what she did to me. I still loved her; she is my mom after all…

There was only one friend that I could tell in confidence that I _knew _would _never _tell anyone:_ Piccolo, of course_. I trusted him with both my heart and my life; he took care of both after every attack from my mother and he listened whenever I needed him to. Well… he was meditating most of the time, but I like to think he was listening too.

It was on the icy mountains during our second fight with Dr. Wheelo that I realized that Piccolo cared for me more than my own father. My Dad screamed at me to leave, "This is my last chance to defeat him for good!" It hurt, knowing that my father didn't want or need my help. When I went up into space to fight the gigantic robot of Dr. Wheelo while my father re-charged his spirit bomb, I remember looking over as I rocketed into the starry atmosphere. There was Piccolo, flying right by my side.

"_Thought you could use some help, kid." _He looked uncomfortable saying stuff like that, but I knew he meant it. _I may have hugged him right there if we weren't in such a desperate situation._

It was difficult to see my dad and Piccolo fight while Mr. Piccolo's mind was being controlled. I didn't know who to cheer on. I just kept screaming "Mister Piccolo! _Stop it!"_ I prayed my voice could somehow reach him, but it didn't. I remember getting so angry at the psycho scientist. I had never felt that way before, aside from the time Mom had called Mr. Piccolo a "_heartless monster who enjoys nothing but ending lives" _right to his face and the time when Nappa had killed Piccolo, who had jumped in the blast's path to sacrifice his life to save mine.

When Piccolo had back-handed the side of my face, it hurt more than Mom's ever could. I had trusted him; I was confused and scared. _"Gohan, stay away from him! He's changed somehow!"_ Dad sounded so much like Mom, I wanted to prove to her and him that I could save Piccolo; I wanted to show them that Piccolo wasn't a monster like everyone believed. I had no idea his mind was being controlled. That's when he hit me with a full-out blow to the face; like I said before, it hurt _so much more _emotionally.

Piccolo was the one person I knew I could trust with anything, and the one person I knew wouldn't judge or make unneeded comments or make me feel like an idiot for feeling a certain way. He hardly spoke, anyways; it was mainly just nice to spill my guts and finally get some stuff off my chest.

When I first told Piccolo that my mother was beating me, I thought he was going to kill her in the most brutal of ways; I had never seen him so upset and angry. He demanded how long it had been going on, and was even more furious after I told him it had been going on for a while now. "Why the HELL didn't you tell me _earlier_? You're a _man aren't you? Defend yourself!_"

"I- she- _she's my mom, Piccolo!"_

That was probably the first time I've ever raised my voice at him; it stopped him cold. He looked a little disappointed in me, which was just another blow to my sanity. "Mister Piccolo- I- I'm… s-sorry." I didn't try to hide my tears anymore; I _wanted _him to know I was crying, I wanted him to know I was truly sorry that I hadn't told him earlier and that I had yelled at him. I respected him _so much._

"That isn't something you hide, Gohan. You should _never be treated that way." _His voice sounded broken and I knew it was because of me.

I felt guilty about it, but I made him swear not to do anything. "It'll get better, I promise."

He stayed quiet for the rest of the night, no doubt scrutinizing every detail I had just relayed to him and plotting a slow and painful demise for my mother.

It wasn't until later when he had cooled off that I had thanked him for listening. He said nothing, as usual, and when I turned and said goodbye he stood and put a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't take that crap from her." He growled. I knew he was worried about me; it was his way of saying _"Be careful, kid. I don't know what I'd do without you."_ I patted the Namek's huge hand and smiled.

"I'll be fine. Thanks for worrying, Mister Piccolo. It's nice to know someone thinks of me every once and a while."

He merely grunted and moved his hand to continue meditating, but to me, it was more than I could ask for. I had finally found someone to share my fears, hopes and dreams with. I had someone to take care of me when my parents chose not to. I had someone whose shoulder I could cry on, although he'd probably rather I'd not, and I had someone who would worry about me if I just suddenly disappeared one day. I finally had someone who cared.

_I don't know what I'd do without my best friend, Piccolo_.


End file.
